The psychology behind Facebook data breach - BBC News
VOCABULARY:
accurate
adult
adverts
blend something together
change the mind
defend
digital footprint
election
employ
ever-growing web
fear
core traits
insight
in retrospect
influence
pledges
protector
prove – proved – proven
provide insight
score
tailor
target at something
threat
variables
variety
winning margin
PERSONALITY:
adventurous
agreeableness
compassion
consciousness
extroversion
forward planner
natural leader
nervous
neuroticism
open-minded
openness
rational thinker
EXERCISE (PDF)
Complete the gaps with correct words.
threats , accurate , personality, fears, scores, traits, considering, predicting, adult, targeted, pledges
Facebook data: How it was used by Cambridge Analytica
The psychology behind Facebook data breach - BBC News
How does it work?
The big five ______________ test has been used by psychologist for years. It ______________ you on five core traits.
Openness, Consciousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
Blended together these broad ______________ sort people into personality types. In fact, this algorithm has been proved impressively ______________. With just 10 likes, it’s better at guessing what kind of person you are than your colleagues. 150 likes, it’ more accurate than your parents. And with just 3 hundred likes, it’s better at ______________ your personality score than your partner. But everyday people share more than just likes. Our digital footprint ______________ is a vast, ever-growing web of status posts, shares, messages, photos. All of which provide______________ Facebook further insight into who we are.
Cambridge Analytica were employed by President Trump’s campaign during the 2016 US Election.
The company’s former boss, Alexander Nix, claimed before the election to have predicted the Big Five score of every ______________ in America.
But what did they do with that information?
On Facebook, hundreds of adverts were posted every day ______________ at specific personality types, tailored towards people’s innermost ______________, needs and emotions. For example, one of Donald Trump’s key ______________was to defend the Second Amendment: The right of the individual to carry a gun. It was a user’s Big Five score which dictated which advert landed in their news feed.
For some people the advert will be sending a message that freedom must be protected from outside ______________. For other’s suggesting guns are an essential tool in safeguarding others.
Can Big Data win an election?
Cambridge Analytica claimed it did. They say it was their data and research that gave President Trump the winning margin.
However, it’s nearly impossible to prove, simply because there are too many variables.
Political parties around world will be ______________the lessons of Cambridge Analytica. The big Data genie is out of the bottle. Will these adverts change our mind or influence election?
